Princess of the Land of Fire
by WarriorDani
Summary: "You're adopted. You are actually the Queen's biological daughter" When Tsunade broke the news to her, Sakura's world as she knew it crumbled in pieces. When an unknown disease leaves the Princess at the brink of death it is up to Sakura to step in and accept her duties as the Crown Princess. Will Sasuke just let her go? Will she have to marry a snotty clan heir? AU Sasu/Saku
1. Intro

Disclaimer: All Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto *sigh*

AN: For the effects of this story, most of the characters are 18, 19 yo in the regular timeline. There has been no Great Shinobi war against Madara. Tsunade is still the Hokage. Imagine the shinobi world having a ruling monarchy instead of a silly daimyo (In the series the Feudal Lords are presented as really dull, none at all as what you'll see here)

Now, to the story:

* * *

Sakura Haruno was just a normal girl, well… as normal as a pink haired top medic kunoichi with superhuman strength can be, anyway. She lived in a normal house in the suburbs of Konoha, not too large, not too small, in the civilian part of Konoha. She also had really normal parents, a couple of civilians who lived a tranquil life and who, in order to maintain their peace of mind, didn't inquire much about what was it that their daughter did for a living.

However, not everything is what it seems, and though some facades can be maintained for a very long time, eventually they will crumble, and the truth will push its way through.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, the presence of Princess Harusaki at the court is required as soon as possible." a bearded man requested with a stern voice. "The Crown Princess' health is in danger and the throne cannot be left empty. You know the political turmoil that will arise if this information is known, and if we are in trouble, so are you, Hokage-sama. Do not forget that."

* * *

Shizune had been at the Hokage tower since dawn, as was her custom lately since those were the only peaceful hours in which she could get some necessary work done. She suddenly heard voices outside and went to see what was happening since it was still insanely early in the morning. Outside of the tower she saw a group of five people dressed very formally and their escorts behind. _'are those horses outside? What on earth is going on?'_ she thought. The one who seemed to be the head of the escort saw Shizune approaching and roughly demanded that the officers be let in to see the Hokage right that instant.

Clearly, this was not how she had expected her morning to begin. She was about to ask them to return at a more decent hour when she recognized the royal blazon in their clothing. Shizune could not have been more surprised.

"H-hai" she stuttered. "Please come into the office, Hokage-sama will be here soon".

With this she let them in and as soon as she closed the door, ran as fast as she could to go and get Tsunade. The escorts stood outside of the room, eyeing warily at the ANBU that had also positioned himself outside of the Hokage's office.

* * *

 _'I am way too sober for this'_ thought Tsunade as soon as she heard what the chief officer of the royal party had said.

"Ahem" the Hokage cleared her throat. "I will have to discuss this with Miss _Haruno_ first" she said, emphasizing the last name that Sakura had grown up with, which carried the identity that had been built for her for the past years.

Tsunade thought that stripping her of it, of her family, her friends, her position at the hospital, her job as a shinobi… it was a cruel twist of fate. They had no idea how hard Sakura had fought to obtain all of it, and they surely were not aware of that temper of hers, and how she would not let any of it get taken away without a fight. They were in for trouble.

"Are you sure that there is no other option? " The Hogake asked, looking for a way out for her pupil.

"We wouldn't be here if there were" the chief officer answered. "According to our best doctors…" the chief officer looked around in a slightly paranoid gesture to check that the room was safe. "… the Crown Princess has a year left to live, eighteen months if we are lucky". He sighed while rubbing his temples. "We will leave it to you, Hokage-sama. Talk to Princess- _Miss Haruno_ as soon as possible, and send her to the temple of Fire. We will be waiting for her. You have three weeks to send her there. That should be enough time for her to make the proper arrangements to leave, otherwise, we will have to come for her."

Tsunade had been listening with her elbows on the desk, fingers entwined with her chin resting on top of them. She nodded solemnly at that last statement."I'll do what I can" the Slug Princess said, "and will send word to you if more help is required." she mentioned that last part because she knew that Sakura wouldn't be convinced of any of it easily.

"Of course, Hokage-sama. We are leaving in your hands the documents containing the Queen's orders for the Princess, as well as a summary of the royal family's history." with this the chief officer delivered a package covered in silk, containing different parchment scrolls, each one with the royal seal in them. "We hope that the Princess will make up her mind soon, and accept her responsibilities to the Land of Fire"


	2. Rollercoaster

**Disclaimer: All Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto** (If they didn't I wouldn't have made Sasuke such a brooding teenager as he is in the original series... still love him though)

A/N: I was so excited to get my first reviews! Thanks to everyone who has so far followed/favorited this story. It really does put a smile on my face :D

Looong chapter ahead. Enjoy! *Nice guy pose* *awkward wink*

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Rollercoaster**

Konoha's one and only pink haired medic woke up lazily. The sun had just risen and it seemed like it was going to be a peaceful spring morning. She exercised for a bit, took a shower and got ready to go to the hospital.

She began walking leisurely across the streets of Konoha, stopping to buy a strawberry juice at some local store. As soon as she finished paying for it though she felt someone approaching from behind.

She turned around and saw that it was one of the Hokage's ANBU. With a gesture, the ANBU signaled for her to follow. They were headed to the Hokage's tower.

' _Isn't it a bit too early in the morning for this? What does Tsunade-shishou want at this hour?'_ Sakura thought.

"Come in," said Tsunade motioning for Sakura to sit down. She then looked to the left side of the room and nodded, effectively dismissing the ANBU that had been there.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. Usually, only top secret information implied that the ANBU had to be dismissed. Was Tsunade sending her on an A or S rank mission? It had been a while since Sakura had been sent on one of those.

"Listen, Sakura…" Tsunade seemed hesitant. Sakura felt herself growing anxious by the minute. Since when did her teacher doubt when telling her anything?

The Hokage took a deep breath and looked Sakura straight in the eyes.

"You are not who you think you are, Sakura"

"…? What are you talking about Shishou?"

"Tell me… what do you know about the royal family of the Land of Fire?" the Hokage asked.

"Well... The Land of Fire functions as a monarchy, and the royal family is the Harusaki Clan. The current Daimyo is Queen Harusaki of the Harusaki dynasty…" she rolled her eyes at her redundancy. "…and there is also the Crown Princess, sole child, and successor of the Queen. They are the only members of their clan left since the King's death several years ago. There are also the government officials, who are the heads of the various clans and help with the ruling of the country under the Queen's commandment…"

Tsunade raised her hand to stop her textbook answer. "Okay, that's enough Sakura. What you have said is accurate except for one thing: The Queen and the Crown Princess aren't the only members of the main Harusaki Clan left."

Sakura had never taken much interest in politics, much less the lives of the royalty. She instantly assumed that there was a mission involved. Maybe an undercover mission? That would be fun…Sakura pondered this while taking a sip of her juice. She would need the breakfast if she was to go on a mission.

Seeing Sakura's expression Tsunade knew that this was not going to be an easy task. How would her student take the news? Well, there was no point in beating around the bush anymore.

"You are the Queen's elder daughter, and your presence is required in the court as soon as possible."

Sakura nearly choked on her juice. After a fit of cough she began to laugh.

"W-what?" she kept laughing/coughing.

Tsunade's expression was dead serious.

 _'If this isn't some sort of joke_ ' the pink haired kunoichi thought after seeing her master's expression ' _then my first impression was right and this must be some sort of mission'._

"I'm sorry Tsunade-shishou" Sakura said while regaining her composure. "Do you want me to go undercover as the Queen's daughter?"

Tsunade resisted the urge to facepalm.

"No, Sakura, what I am saying is that you ARE the Queen's biological daughter. You are adopted." She said that last part gently. There was no way to really soften the blow but at least she'd try.

There was an awkward silence as the information sunk in.

"Wait... What? I'm adopted? but… what about my parents?" asked Sakura looking bewildered.

"They are not your real parents, Sakura." The blonde stopped for a brief moment to let Sakura absorb the information. "Listen…

 _As you know the Harusaki Clan has been reigning this Land for nearly a century. Even during the wars that raged the country, they maintained the power, although not without many sacrifices. They were the ones to oversee the treaty between the Senju and the Uchiha, which then gave birth to Konoha. Seventeen years ago there was a coup d'etat in the capital of the Land of Fire, where the royal family lives. Not much time had passed since the Kyuubi had destroyed almost half of the country, and the insurgents tried to take advantage of the political instability._

 _At that time there were two branches in the Harusaki Clan, much as is the Hyuga Clan today. The branch house tried to take advantage of the turmoil to gain the control of the government. The opposition wanted to erase the Harusaki dynasty's main branch and succeeded in murdering the King. The shinobi assigned to the castle managed to save the Queen, who was pregnant at the moment, but the royal infant, who was two years old at the time, was kidnapped that night. The royal guards managed to hide the Queen after which many members of the guard went to seek for the baby, but they were killed before they found her. The coup was eventually overthrown and everyone related to it was tortured for information and then killed._

 _Of that tragic episode, the sole known survivors of the Harusaki Clan were the Queen and her unborn child, who were protected at the expense of the lives of loyal servants and shinobi. One of the captured servants claimed that the baby was still alive and well, hidden in order to be protected. The problem was that the servant had been gravely injured during the seizing, and died before she could say anything more."_

Sakura just sat still in her chair, listening intently.

"Six years ago, a retired member of the Queen's guard found information regarding the possible whereabouts of the royal firstborn. Apparently, the baby had been taken in by a civilian family living in Konoha, and the once defenseless baby had now become a strong kunoichi." Tsunade looked intently at her student. "When the Queen heard of this she decided that it would be for the best to let things as they were. The fewer was known about her daughter, the safer she would be. The Queen still hurt for the loss of her husband, and even though she was glad that her daughter had been found, she knew that there were still many enemies who wanted to hurt her family." The Hokage sighed, a wistful look on her face. "Your mother did the best to keep you protected, even if it meant keeping you in the dark about your origins. But I'm afraid that the circumstances have changed, and now it is necessary that you return to fulfill your role as the Princess of the Land of Fire."

Sakura just stared ahead, her eyes fixed on the wall behind the Hokage's desk.

"Why now?" Sakura asked in a barely audible tone.

"The Crown Princess - you sister - is sick and it seems that she won't be able to take on the Throne. The Queen is supposed to step down the moment the Princess fulfilled the requirements and came of age, but that might not happen in the short-term, and the throne cannot be left empty."

"B-but then I'd be...? No no no" Sakura shook her head in denial. It was too much information to process.

"Sakura, listen to me. Nothing is set in stone. For all we know the moment the Crown Princess will get better. It's just that, for the moment and to ensure stability, the country needs their Princess. Your mother needs you, Sakura."

After a few moments without an answer Tsunade waved a hand in front of her pupil.

"Sakura? Did you hear me?" She asked, concern evident in her tone.

Sakura blinked repeatedly.

"This… this can't be. I am Haruno Sakura, not some Harusaki lost child, and certainly not a cheap replacement. There must be some mistake. I… I need some air" she said, and hurriedly ran out of the room.

Shizune saw her run away and was about to run after her when she heard Tsunade say "Let her be. There is a lot for her to process. She just needs some time."

Sakura ran as fast as her feet could take her. After the initial daze now anger was beginning to build. Inwardly, Sakura was all but throwing a tantrum. _'How come I've just found out now huh? They just leave me in the dark for ALL my life and now they want me to come back to them like "Hi mommy? It's been a while ne?" As if! Six years! They've known where I was for six years and didn't even send a postcard? Has Tsunade known all this time? ARGHH!'_

She had a headache _and_ a heartache at the same time. She was hurting for what she had known all her life, but also for the suffering of the family she had yet to know. Her green orbs filled with tears until she couldn't see anything ahead. She felt angry, sad, confused and… slightly excited at the prospect of being a princess and also having a little sister. But she wasn't going to concede to that last feeling anytime soon. Sakura wiped the tears of her face. She didn't even know how to feel at the moment. She didn't even want to feel anything at all. She kept running as if her life depended on it, not even thinking about the direction she was going, only now instead of trying to avoid the trees in front of her she just punched her way through _. 'SHANNAROOO_!' Sakura screamed as her fist collided with a giant oak in front of her.

The small rampage through the forest had helped her calm down somewhat but she still felt like running away. Running meant that she would feel the wind blazing in her ears, something that she was grateful for because it meant that she couldn't hear anything else, not even her own confusing thoughts. Before she knew it the newly found Princess was far from Konoha, standing somewhere deep in the woods. Her world as she knew it had shattered and Sakura did not know what to do. _'This can't be happening… I am Sakura Haruno, I am…' she kept chanting in her head._ She stood at a low branch among a myriad of trees, thoughts threatening to overwhelm her again. Looking up at the sky Sakura took a deep breath. She watched as a rough wind ruffled the autumn leafs in the trees, causing them to fall from the tree that had once given them life. That was how she felt right now, like a leaf drifting away, disconnected, en route to an unknown destiny. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let go. Her body fell painfully to the ground, but at that moment she couldn't have cared less for the pain.

When she let her pupil go Tsunade had thought that Sakura would affront the situation after a few hours like the mature adult she was. Maybe she'd consult the issue with her pillow, talk with her parents and come the next day to begin the preparations. But to run away from Konoha and disappear without notice for two days? Was that punk trying to get on her nerves? Heck!, she had to give those stiff royal guards an answer the day after!

Underlying the not-so-irrational anger of the Hokage was also worry. After all, besides Shizune, the pinkette was the closest she had to a daughter. Would Sakura really be okay? Was it the right thing to root her out and send her to the palace? Being the one in charge of delivering such world-wrecking news was one of the worst parts of being the Hokage. Unfortunately for those around the Godaime, anger was still her primary emotion at the moment.

"Shizune! Why aren't the Uchiha and that loud brat here?!" Tsunade roared. "If they don't come in the next five minutes with information about _her highness'_ whereabouts I will find her and drag her sorry ass back here myself."

 _'She didn't even summon them, how were Naruto and Sasuke supposed to know that they should be here?'_ Shizune turned to the Anbu on the corner. "You heard her! Go get them!" She hissed.

"Pl-please calm down Tsunade-sama! I'm sure they are on their way. I'll go get your sake."

The black haired assistant sighed loudly while she exited the Hokage's office. Just as she was closing the door she heard the blonde muttering

"What do you mean my sake isn't even here?!" Followed by the sound of her fist thumping the desk.

They'd better find Sakura fast.

"Ne, ne why did Sakura-chan run away? Do you think something happened to her? Did you do something stupid again teme?!"

Sasuke didn't even 'hn', he just settled for smacking Naruto in the back of his head. Tsunade hadn't told them what had happened. All they knew was that Sakura had run away and they needed to find her as soon as possible. The Hokage had even threatened to demote them back to chunin if they couldn't bring her back before nightfall. As it was they had been running towards the gates of Konoha at top speed.

"Activate you sage mode dobe. How else do you expect to find her?"

"oh oh, that's right! Good idea teme!" the blonde said stopping abruptly then sitting on the ground to focus.

"Hn" Sasuke merely looked at him from the top of a tree.

"Sakura-chan… got cha! She's at two o'clock, ten kilometers deep into the forest."

Naruto hadn't even finished speaking and Sasuke had already run off in the direction of their teammate.

"Missing her already eh teme?" he said softly before running in the same direction.

They found her lying on a clearing in the forest. Her eyes were closed but her uneven breathing and chakra told them that she was awake. Not sure about how to proceed they just stared at her for a while. Her eyes were shut but there was tension in the creases. It seemed that she had been crying since the tears had left trails on her cheeks but otherwise she seemed fine. The same could not be said about the trees surrounding her though. She had left a trail of destruction around her and now giant trees lay on the floor in several pieces. A few meters away a hole in the ground seemed to indicate that once a giant boulder had sat there. This was one of the reasons that caused Naruto and Sasuke to make great efforts not to upset her too much.

The pair looked at each other. The blonde nodded, the raven haired one gulped, another intense stare. After all this time they didn't really need words to communicate, particularly when it related to their female teammate.

Sasuke walked slowly to where Sakura was lying, internally hoping that if it came to the worse his Susanoo would soften the impact of her blows.

Taking a deep breath Sasuke spoke: "Sakura" he said trying to get her attention.

"You're not a coward." he said to her out of the blue. He crouched next to her.

Sakura opened her eyes and blinked several times. She was exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the past couple of days, but eventually, she reigned in on her emotions by meditating for hours on end, occasionally getting up and launching a boulder or two. Shortly before her boys found her she had just decided to give it a rest.

"Sasuke-kun? What…?" she said with a hoarse voice. She hadn't spoken in hours and her throat was sore. The pinkette slowly sat up. Noticing her dry lips Sasuke held out his water bottle to Sakura.

Smiling weakly she accepted it and muttered her thanks.

"Tsunade-shishou sent you looking for me, didn't she?"

"hn"

"I know I shouldn't have run away… She's probably mad at me right now. But even after contemplating the situation I don't know what I'm supposed to do" with this statement her shoulders slumped. "I don't even know if I can do it…"

"Like I said Sakura, you are not a coward. Now that you know you cannot pretend that it didn't happen, but if someone can face it head on it is you."

"Sasuke-kun you know about …me?" Sakura said, more surprised at the sudden expression of faith in her abilities than at the prospect that he may know an S-rank secret ahead of time.

"I don't. But still, I know that if someone can face anything, it's you." As he said that his eyes wandered to the broken trees. "Now get up, the dobe is waiting for us." Sasuke stood up and offered her a hand.

Sakura let out a soft laugh while she got up. "Thanks, I guess I needed some encouragement. If you really don't know yet though… you are not going to believe it. This is a crazy world, but I guess I'll follow your advice and face it head on. You have no idea how right you are when you say I cannot pretend it didn't happen… but I can't help wishing I did…" she said running a hand through her hair.

Her green eyes looked up to the clouds above her and then they were closed again. She left a sigh and straightened her shoulders. When her eyes opened again there was a newfound determination in her face.

Naruto appeared grinning from behind the trees. "Yosh! Let's go home, Sakura-chan. You know you can count on us to kick some ass dattebayo!" he said while giving her one of those Gai-sensei trademark thumbs up, wink included.

' _If only it were as easy as that.'_ Still, she was grateful for the encouragement. Naruto and Sasuke held a special part of her heart and even though she had no certainty about what the future had in store for her, just their presence by her side made her feel more at ease. It was, after all, a beautiful spring day and she would walk at leisure with her boys on their way back to Konoha.

With a soft smile on her face, she turned to them. "Care to walk me to my parent's house? There's something I need to confirm."

* * *

A/N: And so... the plot thickens! (I'm going to be saying that for the next few chapters)

Omg! more than 3000 words... I think I got a bit carried away xD Still, I think it was necessary to convey all the emotional turmoil going on with Sakura in one go. Also, first appearance of Naruto and Sasuke!

Probably the following chapters won't be as long though... who knows? *more awkward winks* *sends hearts with thumb and index fingers*

To anyone who reads this, have a blessed week!

* * *

 _ **Flashback Bonus**_

 _ **6 years ago - in a hot spring in the north of the Land of Fire**_

"Man, I sure miss Sakura-chan" whined a loud blonde boy. "And Ichiraku's, how I miss that place! When are we going back ero-sennin? It's been almost three years already!" he pouted.

"Tsk gaki! We'll go back when you stop calling me like that!" A man with white spiky hair said.

"But you are a pervert _and_ my teacher! What else am I supposed to call you?"  
"I just seek to appreciate the gifts of nature kid, you should know that by now"

"Pervert!" yelled the young boy.

In the same hot spring there was an older man with a tired complexion. His face and body showcased the scars of a lifetime of battles, and under his calm countenance there was a sense of regret. He had worked as a personal guard of the royal family of Konoha for years and had just recently retired.

The older man couldn't help but look in the direction of the loud boy. The presence of a potential pervert in a hot spring could be a source of trouble. However, he had just decided to listen some more before jumping to conclusions when the possible pervert said something that caught his attention.

"It's understandable that you'd miss Sakura-chan though. Just imagine how much she must've grown. With those pink locks and jade green eyes, Sakura-chan is sure to become a very fine… Ouch!" the blonde-boy smacked his teacher in the head before he was able to finish his sentence.

"Shut up ero-sennin! Geez, how could I have spent all this time traveling with such a pervert! Talking about 15-year-old girls like that, disgusting" he muttered under his breath.

"It was just a joke gaki. I don't go for underage girls. When they grow up though…" and with that, he earned himself another smack in the head, this time with more force.

 _'Pink hair? Jade green eyes? It can't be… did they say her name was Sakura? The Princess should have turned fifteen by now…'_ mused the ex-royal guard. Through his mind flashed the memories of a two-year-old infant, the prettiest little girl he had ever seen. She had such a bright smile and sparkling green eyes that contrasted with her candy-colored locks… He felt a pang of pain in his chest at the memories of the little princess he hadn't been able to protect seventeen years ago… If there was even the slightest chance of finding her, even if just to check that she was alive and well, he had to know.

So the old man went over to where the young boy and the white haired man were, to try and find out where they were from.


	3. Flashback

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. All of a sudden real life got reaaaally busy. Anyway, back with a short chapter this week but longer ones ahead. Thanks for your patience!

WD

* * *

Standing in front of her parent's house Sakura's mind began to race again. She couldn't help but wonder about what being the royal princess meant for her. Was she supposed to eventually become the new… queen? What would life in the palace be like? Because, the royal family lives in a palace right? But what would be of her parents, her friends, her job at the hospital? Her whole life, everything that she had ever known… The pinkette was making herself dizzy just thinking about those things. She shook her head in a feeble attempt to clear her mind. Breathe in. Breathe out. How was she supposed to face everything from now on? What she going to have to leave her life behind? She honestly had no idea, but the first logical step seemed to be speaking with her parents to find out more about her true origins. Determined to face things one step at a time she took a deep breath and knocked the door of her house.

 _ **17 years ago - a small chateau in the outskirts of the Capital city**_

 _Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno had recently married. They were a young civilian couple living in a tiny apartment just for the two of them. As newlyweds, they were ready to face a new chapter in their lives, maybe settling definitely in the big City and perhaps even establishing a business… They dreamed of having one or two children whom they would shower with love. In their dreams laid happy and peaceful times ahead. However, things rarely ever occur as planned and not long after they arrived in the City a fatidical night would change their lives forever, unexpectedly bringing one of their dreams to reality sooner than expected._

 _It was nightfall in the Capital city of the Land of Fire. Businesses were closing down after a good day's work and people headed for home to get some rest. All life seemed to stop for a moment when a sudden explosion was heard near the palace. Several more followed, but now they were all over the city. As smoke rose to the air mixing with the sound of distant screams, time seemed to accelerate once again. What followed was the swift and deliberate occupation of the city, as armed people took a post in every street. Haruno Kizashi had returned home just in time to avoid the erupting violence in the streets that was declaring the end of the Harusaki dynasty._

* * *

 _On the other side of the town frightened hazel eyes tried very hard to avoid blazing red ones._

" _This was almost too easy." Said a deep voice filled with contempt. "Clearly this country will be better off with a new government." A cruel smirk accompanied the hardness of his gaze._

 _This was the man behind the mayhem occurring at the moment. He usually was a mastermind that was not lazy to intervene himself in order to make sure that things went as planned, but this time he would have to delegate what seemed like a secondary task. The coup had gone as planned and, with the King dead, he had to make sure that things continued as planned without him seeming involved in it. He was, after all, only a facilitator for the destiny that royal family had brought upon themselves. Bright red dissolved into pitch black, though the hardness of his stare remained._

" _You will dispose of this child. And leave no evidence behind, let it be a mystery that haunts them". He said without mercy, pointing to the little lump on the floor that was the sleeping form of the royal infant. The baby was under a soft genjutsu that would keep her unconscious for the next few hours. At the receiving end of the order stood a former kunoichi who had been working for the side of the clan behind the rebellion. She had her orders. No one disobeyed the man in front of her and lived to tell the story, but she knew deep within that she would not be able to fully comply with them. In spite of her fear she replied with a firm "Hai" and knelt to pick up the child. She could feel the man staring at her, but could not will herself to turn around. Standing up she applied chakra to her feet at leaped away, disappearing as a blur in the night, black eyes still following her movements._

* * *

 _The newlywed couple huddled in fear inside their tiny apartment, not knowing what was going on, and even less what to do. What seemed like hours but were perhaps just some minutes of shocked confusion came to a halt when a crashing sound was heard in their kitchen. Had someone broken in through their window or was it just a stray projectile that had crashed there? Kizashi and Mebuki looked each other in the eye and it was clear that they did not want to separate even in the face of danger. And so, hand in hand, with their bodies glued to the walls, they made their way towards the source of the noise._

 _There was an intruder facing the window, apparently checking no one else had followed her steps. The moment she heard the homeowners approaching she turned around, and the moonlight revealed the trespasser to be a known person. It was Mebuki's sister, Midori. A gasp of surprise on one hand and a sigh relief in the other were the only sounds heard in that moment. Before the couple got closer though, they were signaled to stop and go back, staying away from the windows. The one-handed motion made noticeable that Midori was carrying a mysterious bundle in her other arm. As she walked towards them Mebuki saw that her sister had a little girl wrapped in a blanket, sound asleep in spite of the confusion and violence happening outside._

" _Here, please hold her." She said to Kizashi, while gently putting the infant in his arms. A couple of tears slid down her face. Seeing the confusion in their eyes she grabbed the other woman's hands. "My sister, please" she begged, her voice cracking. "You have to take care of her. I… I was supposed to…" She wasn't able to continue. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself enough to continue. "I can't tell you much about her, even I am not entirely sure, but it will be better if you don't know. Take care of her as if she were your own child. Please… protect her with all you have, and my life will not have been in vain." She looked at the sleeping form with a mix of pain and remorse in her eyes and told them "In many ways, the future of this Land depends on this baby. When the time comes you might find out the truth, but now I have to go." "Outside of the east gate, there is a caravan headed to Konoha. They leave at dawn."_

 _They wanted to ask more about the child's origins but somehow knew that it might wiser not to ask. The couple was instructed to wait there until things got calmer and to run away to Konoha as soon as they could. They would be safe there. Sensing that it was the last time they would see each other, Mebuki and her sister stared into each other eyes, one scared and confused, the other one pleading and in pain. Finally, the kunoichi stood up and said her farewells, after which she eagerly asked them once again to look after the child. With one last glance, she turned around and jumped out of the window. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she disappeared into the night._

 _They were mere civilians, and had been entrusted with a task probably bigger than themselves, but one look at the peaceful face of the infant convinced them that they had to protect her. Needless to say, the couple didn't sleep that night. The little girl seemed to be around two years old and was still peacefully asleep in spite of the noises coming from outside. It was almost worrisome how deeply asleep she was, but maybe it was better that way. Before dawn all the noises calmed down and so the couple put on their capes and left the city under the veil of the deep blue sky, the darkness promising a sunrise that was soon to come. When they reached the gates of the city they saw the caravan getting ready to leave, merchants eager to go away and escape the violence. They went unnoticed in the confusion. After some haggling, Kizashi got them in the caravan headed for Konoha as if they were a young family returning to their hometown to raise their daughter._

Her mother was now silently crying.

"Some years ago a Royal guard came looking for you but you were away on a mission. He told us the truth about your birth and warned us that the day would come when your roots came to take you back." Said her father.

"We're so sorry for not telling you sooner" her mother said in between sobs. "We just wanted to keep you by our side a little longer

Sakura couldn't stand seeing them like that, her mother sobbing and her father not daring to look her in the eyes.

She got up and hugged both her parents, and thanked them for all they had done for her.

"You will always be mom and dad for me" she told them softly. "Thank you for all that you've done, I couldn't have asked for better parents" The pinkette said smiling, wiping a fugitive tear that was running down her cheek.

"And you will always be our little girl" said her dad, straightening up. "Now go, do what you have to do, my daughter, and leave no regrets behind."

Her mother sniffed and then smiled reassuringly "We will always love you, Sakura".

"I love you too"

Feeling about to be overwhelmed with emotion Sakura decided to leave before they all drowned in tears again.


	4. Frustration

_A/N: When you're about to finish university studies, midterm week is actually the one where you have more free time. Yay! *pushes back pending papers and coming presentations* Free time!_

 _btw, thanks for all your follows and favorites. I'm actually having a lot of fun writing this story ;)_

 _Now to the wall-punching drama!_

* * *

The shocking revelations and the sadness of the previous days gave way to a newfound frustration. For Sakura the fact that she had so little control over the situation, plus the anxiousness about how her teammates and friends would react had her considerably stressed out.

It was Saturday morning and Sakura was sitting inside her apartment. The pinkette could not help but to be rummaging the life-changing news that had been given to her. Her parent's story as well as what Tsunade had told her added up. As if that wasn't sufficient, she had found a silk-covered package full of scrolls in her living room, and in them, the whole story of the Harusaki Clan was explained with family trees and all.

Some pictures had been also inside the scrolls, with an old family portrait particularly standing out. In it, a happy couple carried their baby girl between them. The picture emanated peace and happiness, a vibrant garden being the background for the portrait. The baby had bright green eyes, the exact same shade as the man in the picture. The elaborate kimonos and the elegance of the couple in the picture left no doubt about who they were. Still, it was weird looking at her … biological family like that.

Sakura passed a hand through her pink tresses and sighed.

A text message got her out of her musings. Unsurprisingly it was Naruto asking if she wanted to go for some ramen.

 _"_ _Sugar. Honey. Iced. Tea. !_ _Naruto and Sasuke! What am I going to tell them? And what about the girls? Ahhhhh!"_

According to Tsunade, it was up to her to tell her friends, but how would they react? Still, they had come to retrieve her from the forest. She clearly owed them an explanation. What would Sasuke say about her being a princess? And about her leaving Konoha? Would it mean that they were over even before they had started?

"Gaaaaahhh!" Sakura cried out loud and banged her fists on her wall for the umpteenth time. At this rate she was going to break another hole on her wall - she had already punched a hole in it after she got back from talking with her parents.

The only thing that she wanted to do was overwork herself until she couldn't think anymore.

 _"Hmmm… an epidemic break doesn't sound too bad right now… If I'm lucky there might be a surgery with complications. "_ Were her thoughts to try and cheer herself up.

Too bad flu season had just ended and the warm summer meant that the most interesting things got at the hospital were a bad case of insolation.

All those holes in the walls were going to be trouble when the winter came.

* * *

After Tsunade got the report that Sakura was back in Konoha she had sent the royal scroll over to her apartment. She'd had to send a letter to the officers at the Fire Temple politely indicating that Sakura's definite response would need at least a couple of days more. With this the Hokage thought that until she talked again with her pupil - an appointment had been set for the next morning - she would be able to let the issue rest.

It was one of those days when not much paperwork was left so the Hokage was already planning to go home early with quite some sake with herself. However, the Legendary Sucker hadn't earned that title for nothing.

Just as she was about to go home early for the day, Shizune announced the head of the royal officers had come to her office. With a heavy sigh, she let him in.

"Good afternoon, Kousuke-san. What can I do for you?"

"Hokage-sama, pardon my sudden arrival, but there is something that I must show you."

Tsunade was tempted to ask if it could wait until the following day, but a purple seal in the letter that the officer held caught her attention.

"What have you got there? Is it a letter from… her Highness?"

The only response was a nod.

There was no refusing it then, and most likely, not going home early either.

In the world of shinobi, most of the messages sent were coded, though the sophistication of the method used increased with the level of security of the message. What the Hokage held in her hand at that moment was written in such a way that only her chakra signature plus a drop of her blood would be able to make what was written visible, but only for a short amount of time, after which the letter would disintegrate. Usually, such extreme measures of security only happened between the heads of the shinobi villages, and only in rare cases were they used by the civilian royalty.

The Godaime Hokage read the letter intently, committing the words to memory before they faded. A serious frown settled on her face as she finished reading.

"You should have told me of the last time you came to see me." She said sternly.

"I am afraid that her Highness' specific instructions were that the rest of the officers' party was not to know of this. They would most likely leak that intel to the council, and they would not be pleased. Surely you understand, Hokage-sama" He said with a bow.

"Hmm… still, this would have made disclosing the news a bit easier…" Tsunade said with a thoughtful tone. "The Queen is indeed a wise woman. Tell her to leave it to me. I will send my best soldiers in this mission. After all, we have everything to gain from this plan coming to fruition."

Apparently, no more words were needed. The agreement was set. Standing up the officer gave a respectful bow and left the Hokage to herself. Forgetting her plans for sake, Tsunade opened the mission registry. She had some careful planning to make.

* * *

 _The following day. 11 am, Fire Temple._

All of Sakura's pent up frustration returned the moment she met those stuck up royal guards. It had been bottling up since that morning's reunion with Tsunade. The younger kunoichi had asked for more details about how she was supposed to proceed with this whole welcome-to-the-royalty thing. But for once her Shishou had not been of much help, only telling her to go and meet the officers at the temple. Supposedly they were the ones that would give her any information she needed to make a decision. What exactly her "decision" entailed she wasn't even sure yet! That's what she had gone to ask Tsunade!

Still, she had accepted to meet them in order to learn more about her family and the court but was beginning to regret her decision to do so. What on earth was wrong with this people? Sakura met a group of seven officers, who apparently had needed to take 15 servants with them just for the trip. Not to mention the ones in charge of the horses. The first impression they gave was of being some arrogant nose-wrinkling old men. The pinkette had tried to dismiss this impression thinking it was only a silly stereotype, however, the officers had decided to prove her impressions correct.

After some stiff introductions, they had taken turns to explain how things worked in the palace, as well as the precarious situation of her little sister's health. Regarding the latter, it turned out that she was almost three years younger than her and, in Sakura's absence, had been expected to succeed the throne when she came of age. Although her health had never been optimal - it seemed she had a weak complexion - it had gotten much worse during the past year. She had some sort of degenerative disease and it was now taking a toll on her respiratory and cardiac system.

Sakura could not help but listen to that information with the expert ear of a seasoned medic, after all, she had been in the field for almost seven years now, including her time of training. The problem was that the moment she began mentioning the possibilities for diagnose and cure they had looked at her like she had suddenly grown a second nose in the middle of her forehead.

"Has she gotten a chakra mapping done? I'm sure that if I could see it, that and an EKG and a full MRA, we could find out the source of the disease. Even if it is an autoimmune, the new techniques that Tsunade-sama and I have been exploring would surely..:"

"Ahem, your Royal Highness" the bald officer interrupted "you need not worry about such issues. The medics of the Royal family have been serving in the court for decades and are doing their best to treat the Crown Princess."

"Still, if there isn't even a set diagnose at least I could help with it…"

"As you shall surely find out, the life in court is going to include an occupied agenda, so please let the experts do their job." Another one said with a tone of condescendence.

Sure, she could deal with all the protocol and baby-kissing, but were they not going to let her exercise as a doctor? That was the droplet that exhausted her patience.

"Experts? Oh, I will show you experts! I have been under the direct tutelage of the Legendary Tsunade, best medical ninja in the WORLD, FYI. I have personally treated four of the five Kages of the Great Nations, and patented over a dozen new treatments, without counting the antidotes and medicines that I developed myself against the deadliest toxins. And _I know_ that I can put my medical knowledge to use in order to help my little sister!"

Sakura got dangerously closer to the man with every word. She extended her arm and poked the annoying guard on the chest "And you will. Not. stop me. _mister_." she said through clenched teeth.

"Sakura-sama," said another one of the officers, using a more conciliatory tone "Please understand that the political situation and the government, plus getting acquainted with the ways of the palace will consume most of your time."

He almost seemed reasonable, almost… until he stuck his foot up his mouth. "Your job is to be the Princess. It would be unprecedented that you are running around as a nurse. As we said, the Capital does host some very good medical…"

Suddenly they were surrounded by killing intent, and a faint glow could be seen emanating from the pinkette's clenched fists.

 _'Why, why can't I simply punch them back to their precious capital! That would teach them not to look down on me SHANNARO!'_

Sakura tried -very hard- to quench her murdering instincts.

Breathing heavily she squared her shoulders.

"If you won't let me be a DOCTOR then you'd better find yourselves another Princess." she said with a definite tone.

With this, she turned around and left, and though she wasn't really stomping her feet, her chakra was concentrated enough so that her soles left cracks on the previously impeccable marble floor.

"Damn! If we don't bring her back we are as well as dead. Remember what happened to the party that tried to return without her all those years ago?" They shared a collective shiver.

However, Kousuke, the head of the officers lifted his hand in a calming motion.

"It's okay. Let her go for now. She will come with us when the time is due."

Not everyone seemed convinced, particularly the bald man that had been at the receiving end of her speech, but they knew better than to question him. Or to try to go after the floor-breaking princess.


End file.
